Miami baseball starts slower than anticipated

Miami baseball didn’t exactly bring the heat last weekend, even though it was much warmer in College Station, Texas, than it was in Oxford.

In their season-opening series against No. 21 Texas A&M, the RedHawks lost all three games.

Their first game of the season, on Friday, was a 17-1 loss.

On Saturday, the RedHawks lost, 9-2, and they lost again, 6-2, on Sunday.

Friday’s third inning was wild for Miami’s defense

Miami was already down, 4-0, to start the third inning on the first day of the season.

With a frame full of walks, hits and home runs, Texas A&M scored nine runs against sophomore pitcher Sam Bachman and freshman pitcher Lawson Blackmore.

After a Texas A&M player scored on an error from Miami’s junior shortstop, Tyler Wardwell, a couple RBI singles and a grand slam, Bachman exited the mound after allowing seven runs.

Blackmore, who replaced Bachman, gave up two more runs. During his very first collegiate outing, Blackmore walked an Aggie before surrendering an RBI double. Afterward, he threw a wild pitch and gave up an RBI single.

Blackmore completed the inning with a strikeout, but Texas A&M extended its lead, making the score 13-0 at the end of the third.

Cristian Tejada prevents the RedHawks from a shutout

In Friday’s season opener, the RedHawks scored only one run.

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Cristian Tejada drove in a RedHawk runner on a groundout to the pitcher in the fifth inning.

The junior outfielder led the team in batting average and hits last season. His average was .339, and he had 62 hits, although he went hitless throughout 2020’s season-opening series.

The RedHawks play long ball

In Saturday’s game, senior infielder Will Vogelgesang hit a one-run home run in the second inning, and senior infielder Landon Stephens crushed a solo bomb in the fourth.

Vogelgesang is off to a great start this season. He hit only one homer last season, so he got an early start this season.

Stephens made quite the impression last weekend, despite his team’s losing streak. He leads the team in batting averages at .364, with four hits in 11 at-bats over the three-game series.

Redshirt freshman proves his worth

Redshirt freshman infielder Stephen Krause drove in Miami’s two runs in Sunday’s series closer.

In the fourth inning, Krause grounded out to the pitcher on a sacrifice bunt as Vogelgesang scored.

In the seventh inning, Krause hit a double. Freshman infielder Brian Zapp advanced to third after redshirt senior outfielder Kyle Winkler grounded out.

Wardwell brought Zapp home with a sacrificial fly to center field.

The RedHawks, projected to be among the top teams in the Mid-American Conference this season, are hoping to reverse their losing streak next weekend. They have the home-field advantage in their next series against Purdue Fort Wayne, starting at 5 p.m. Friday.

@lilyfreiberg

freibell@miamioh.edu